


Mr. Demi’s Entrance

by Jathis



Series: The Steward and the Sorcerer [34]
Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Asexual Relationship, Burns, Execution, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28393194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: ((A direct sequel to Greylock’s Grand Finale))Choices need to be made when a dead man returns to Cedric’s life.
Relationships: Baileywick/Cedric the Sorcerer
Series: The Steward and the Sorcerer [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091021
Comments: 7
Kudos: 3





	Mr. Demi’s Entrance

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to this: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931417

He had been ready to head back to the castle when he spotted a stall selling sun catchers. Cedric stopped, tilting his head as he thought to himself. He had never seen such a stall before, perhaps a newcomer to the village? 

He wondered if Baileywick would like one. The man’s bedroom was so spartan, even after Cedric had added his own things to it. A sun catcher could add some color and brightness to it.

With this decided, Cedric held up a hand for the carriage driver to wait for him and he walked over to look. There were some made of crystal and some of glass. Each one was unique in design and color.

He smiled when one of the crystalline sun catchers caught his eye. Several hummingbirds carved out of crystal hung from strings thin enough to look invisible, giving the illusion that they were in flight. Each hummingbird was a bright color and they looked as if they were glowing when the sun hit them.

“How much is this one?” he asked, indicating the sun catcher with a tilt of his head. He turned to the stall owner, finally taking notice of their odd appearance. It was a fairly warm day and yet they were dressed in heavy clothing that covered their body entirely. A hat with a comically large floppy brim kept their face hidden.

The stall owner held up five fingers in answer. Cedric noticed some thick scarring on their hand, recognizing them as scars from fire. His own gloved hands bore similar marks.

Cedric frowned and asked, “are you sure? This looks very intricate. Surely it should be more than that?” He blinked when the other held up five fingers again and he shrugged, placing ten coins in front of them. “Mummy always said never to underpay hard work,” he said, taking down his purchase. He bowed his head to the other and started to walk away.

“See you later, Bed Sick.”

He froze, nearly dropping his purchases. He turned back to the stall and saw that the owner was leaning on the counter, still covered from head to toe. “Excuse me?” he asked.

They held up a scarred hand and politely waved at Cedric.

The sorcerer hesitated. He was losing his mind. Greylock had been executed for his part in the Order of the Wand. He must have misheard them saying his name.

The stall owner watched as Cedric went back to the carriage and climbed inside. A moment later the carriage was rolling down the road back to the castle. They sighed, sitting down on a small stool. It was tiring standing up for so long nowadays. Their legs couldn’t handle it.

***

“Oh Cedric! It’s gorgeous!” Baileywick smiled as he hung the sun catcher up in front of their window. The hummingbirds caught the sun almost immediately, filling the room with dazzling colors that danced across the floors and walls. “And you bought this at a new stall at the market?” he asked.

The sorcerer nodded his head, staring at the colors that played over the floor. “The owner seemed a little odd…” he hummed.

“They must be new to Enchancia. I wonder where they came from to make such beautiful things?” Baileywick said. He pulled Cedric out of his thoughts with a hand on his arm, pulling the other into a hug. “Regardless, it’s beautiful!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cedric said, blushing at the affection. He looked over at the sun catcher once more, frowning a little at the birds that hung seemingly suspended in the air.

***

It wasn’t until several weeks had passed that Cedric discovered its secret. The royal sorcerer had promised Baileywick to follow some kind of sleep schedule and he had done his best to follow it. One night however he could not help but stay late in his tower, intent on finishing a speaking potion to use on Rosemary. He finally decided to go to bed when his latest brew nearly gave the magpie a crocodile’s mouth. He would continue in the morning and figure out where he was going wrong.

Cedric saw it as soon as he stepped into the bedroom. He drew his wand from his sleeve, bracing himself for anything as he stepped inside. He looked over at Baileywick, making sure the other was safe.

The royal steward was fast asleep in their bed, oblivious to the lights flashing over their floor. 

The lights coming directly from the sun catcher. The colors danced and shimmered as if they were still catching light, something that was impossible with the curtains closed.

He wondered how long this had been happening and he had never noticed it before! He tried walking directly up to where the colors landed but found that they immediately stopped, going dark. It was not until he stepped away that the colors resumed their dance. Cedric moved to stand against the wall, looking down at the floor at an angle. 

For a brief moment there was nothing but swirls and flickers of color and he idly wondered if he were not being paranoid about some simple charm that had been placed on the decoration. Then he saw the colors shift and change. The image reminded him of a blazing fire, reds and oranges swirling together in one spot. A moment later the colors changed to all red and shifted into a shape that reminded Cedric of…

“The crown of Rudistan?” he murmured. He winced and held his breath when Baileywick shifted in bed. He waited until the other had settled back down again before letting himself breathe.

The colors shifted back to resembling a fire. He frowned, staring into the swirling colors as he tried to understand. Fire...the one who had sold it to him looked burned. Perhaps this was what it meant? But then why Rudistan and its..?

Cedric’s eyes widened when the answer came to him. There was no other answer for these images. He stopped himself from running out of the room, forcing himself to try and relax. He would go in the morning to see if he was correct. It was far too late at night to do anything about this now and he doubted that there was a time limit considering how long it had taken him to even find it in the first place. The clue had been meant to be found at a later date and not instantly and this gave him some comfort.

“It’s late,” Baileywick murmured as he felt Cedric climbing into bed. He turned over, eyes still closed as he hugged the other around his middle. “Busy?”

“Yes...very busy,” Cedric said. “Tomorrow I shall have to go and get some supplies from the village. They’re rather hard to get so I’ll be leaving early in the morning.”

Baileywick yawned, nuzzling the back of Cedric’s neck. “You work too hard.”

“Look at the cauldron calling the kettle black!” Cedric snorted. He couldn’t help but smile, allowing himself to enjoy the moment and fall asleep in the other’s arms.

***

Cedric was not overly fond of horses. They tended to bite and seemed to find enjoyment in throwing him off and into a conveniently placed mud puddle. They also had a habit of breaking out into a run when he was least expecting it, terrifying the sorcerer to no end.

Despite all of this, he knew he needed to ride one to get to the village. His flying machine was too big and obvious, the villagers would immediately look and wonder why he was there. He could not take a carriage and risk the driver talking to the others. Transportation spells...could end up with him partly inside of a tree for the rest of his life.

So Cedric had to ride a horse. The stable hand gave the sorcerer one of the mares, a sandy colored horse with a black spot over her right eye. He assured Cedric that she was known for being a smooth ride and promised he would not end up in a bush or ditch somewhere.

“I hope not,” Cedric muttered, blushing as he struggled to get up onto the saddle. “Neptune’s nettles!” he hissed. He sighed as a stool was set down, nodding his head once in thanks before using it to get onto the mare’s back. “To the village,” he said, pointing a finger.

“You have to hold these,” the stable hand said, holding up the reins.

“...yes, I knew that. I was simply testing you.” He took hold of the reins and nudged the mare, letting out a sigh of relief when she finally started to move. “If you throw me off I shall turn you into a carousel for the castle!”

The mare snorted in reply and Cedric swore she had rolled her eyes at him.

***

By the time they reached Dunwiddie, Cedric finally knew why women were encouraged to ride side saddle instead of astride. His legs were numb from the ride, making his dismount awkward and slow. He finally managed to get down by putting both of his legs on one side, sliding off of the mare backwards. He stumbled back once his feet hit the ground but he managed to keep his balance, holding onto the reins for support.

The mare snorted at him and he huffed as he straightened up, brushing off his pants and robes to take back some small amount of dignity. “At least no one puts me down if I break my leg!” he sniffed. The mare responded by nibbling on one of his bangs and he sighed before he went to the marketplace.

The stall was easy to find. It was in the same place as last time. Cedric frowned however when he approached and found a young woman standing behind the counter, selling the sun catchers. She was much smaller than what the other had been and he doubted she had somehow gotten rid of the burn scars on her hands.

He waited until she finished a sale before clearing his throat. “Excuse me,” he said, “I was wondering if you knew where the other sun catcher vendor was? The one in the hat and lots of layers.”

“You mean Mr. Demi?” she asked.

“...yes,” he said with a slow nod. He followed where she pointed towards the tavern.

“Mr. Demi asked me to take care of his stall for him. He spends most of his time in there,” the young woman said.

“Have you ever seen him uncovered?” Cedric asked. He blushed when he saw the look on her face and he quickly shook his head. “I mean without his hat! Not...not anything else!” he amended.

“Mr. Demi keeps mostly to himself,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t think anyone has seen him without his hat or his heavy clothing. He’s odd but he lets me keep most of the day’s profits so he’s rather nice to help!” she said.

Cedric nodded, placing two coins on the counter. “Thank you for your help,” he said before taking his leave. He finally had a name to work with, Mr. Demi. It was an odd name and he couldn’t figure out a nationality from it. It certainly didn’t sound like anything from Rudistan anyway.

The tavern wasn’t very full that morning. The few occupants inside were in small groups, sharing breakfast. None of them looked remotely like the Mr. Demi Cedric needed to find. 

“Excuse me,” Cedric said, waving down the tavern’s owner. “I’m looking for someone who may be staying at your establishment. I believe he goes by Mr. Demi? I need to see him.”

“And why would I just tell someone who walked in who was staying at my place? How do I know this isn’t an attempt to rob or kill the man?”

“I’m the royal sorcerer,” Cedric said, drawing himself up to his full height and placing his hands on his hips. He deflated when this didn’t have the effect he hoped for and he sighed as he handed over five coins. “Does this work?”

“Up the stairs and down the right hallway. His door is the last on the left,” the owner cheerfully answered, pocketing the coins faster than Cedric could blink.

“Charming,” the sorcerer muttered as he made his way up the stairs. He wasn’t sure how safe an establishment could be if the owner could be swayed so easily with money. He just hoped no one else had tried to look for Mr. Demi before him. He still wasn’t even sure if his guess was right or not.

He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He frowned a little when he received none and he leaned in close to listen. He could hear that there was  _ something _ moving around inside. He knocked again and was met with more silence. Cedric growled, placing his hands on his hips. He was certain the owner had not lied to him. So then what could he do to open the door without forcing it open?

An idea suddenly came to him. Cedric drew his wand and tapped on the door to the beat of a song that had been popular when he was a student at Hexley Hall. He smiled in triumph when he heard someone approach the door and undo the lock.

The door opened a crack, allowing Mr. Demi to look out at him. The man was still covered up, his hat pulled down over his face. He peeked at Cedric with his left eye, waiting.

“Only one person would answer that knock,” Cedric whispered. “Let me in.” The door remained mostly closed and he sighed as he spread his arms out. “I’m alone. No one else is here with me.” He blinked when Mr. Demi held out a scarred hand and he slowly realized what he wanted. He handed over his wand. “Satisfied?”

The door closed, nearly clipping the end of his nose. Cedric mentally told himself not to get upset and start banging on the door. One, it would be useless. Two, it would draw attention to himself. Three...he really didn’t want to hurt his hands. 

Cedric’s patience was rewarded by the door swinging open, inviting him inside. He stepped inside and shut the door. Mr. Demi was sitting at a small table, Cedric’s wand on the table. He made a locking gesture and Cedric turned and locked the door.

“Are you going to be silent the entire time I am here, Mr. Demi?” Cedric asked with a raised eyebrow. He moved to sit down across from the other, taking back his wand. “Or shall I stop playing games and call you Greylock?”

His host finally removed his hat. Cedric winced at the burns he could see on his neck and part of his face. There was a large patch of hair that had not grown back, burned away at the root. A roughly made eyepatch covered his right eye in lieu of a monocle.

Greylock the Grand smiled, his scars making it look lopsided. “Well done, CardTrick…” Greylock’s voice was no longer bright and cheery. It was hoarse and raspy, barely above a whisper. “I was starting to think you would never figure it out.”

“Well it’s not as if you told me to look for a clue,” Cedric huffed. “You’re lucky I happened to stay up late one night and saw the lights!”

“It’s what makes them so popular. Little charms that make the colors brighter and shift around in the light faster.”

“How did you know I would buy that one?”

“I put a small spell on it to draw your eyes to it,” he answered.

Cedric hummed, nodding his head a little. Well that would explain why he had such a desire to buy it for Baileywick. Greylock had always been a clever one. “Why are you here?” he bluntly asked. “I thought you were dead. We all did. My king made a small memorial for you.”

Greylock tilted his head at that, surprised. “Did he? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. Roland was always seen as the best Royal to work for. Why do you think Slickwell asked me for that cursed pin?”

“You  _ knew  _ what he was doing?!”

“I didn’t think he would use it to hurt the old man,” he confessed. “I thought he would just use it to get a job.”

Cedric closed his eyes and sighed. He didn’t have time to ask Greylock about everything he had done or helped be done. Besides, Slickwell worked in the castle anyway and seemed content where he was. “Greylock…”

“I hear your title is Cedric the Great,” he said with a crooked smile. “You’re seen as a hero in the magical world.”

“Greylock, how did you survive? Why are you here in Enchancia? Why did you send me that message to find you?”

“So many questions. Just like when we were in school, Red Prick.” The scarred man leaned back in his chair, sighing softly as he thought about where to start. “The Order of the Wand…”

“You took Rudistan.”

“And you gave Enchancia up and betrayed Grimtrix.” He offered Cedric a sad smile as he shook his head. “Call it what you like. It doesn’t matter. Although to be able to trick a Headmaster of Hexley Hall is still rather amazing. Not everyone could do that.

“Merlin and the others took the kingdoms back. It was laughably easy. I never really considered what I would do after taking the kingdom to defend myself. That was my mistake. I should have considered something to defend myself.

“Magnus wanted to kill me as soon as the stone was broken. Oddly enough it was Merlin who stepped in and told him I deserved a trial like anyone else. I was locked away until then and didn’t see any light for weeks. My food and water were dropped off whenever I fell asleep. I wasn’t allowed to even  _ see _ another person.”

Greylock’s voice was getting raspier as he spoke. Cedric produced a cup of honey lemon tea and pushed it over to his friend. “Drink something.”

He hummed softly, picking up the cup. “Never let them burn you at the stake, Kendrick. It will ruin your voice forever,” he joked.

“Greylock…”

“Your king kept causing delays in my trial. I heard Magnus raging about it occasionally. It seems Roland tried to use his rank to call for some kind of mercy. Magnus was furious. I’m fairly certain he just sentenced me to burn to spite your king for his kindness.”

There was silence between the two when Greylock stopped to take another drink. Cedric refilled his cup, waiting. The former sorcerer turned his head and coughed, hacking something up that he spit into a handkerchief before putting it away.

“They don’t tell you about the smoke when they burn you. It’s the smoke that causes most of the damage. The fire is just there for show and to destroy the evidence of what was done. Magnus made a point of using wet wood, producing massive amounts of smoke for my burning. He didn’t realize the smoke was also the perfect way to cover my escape.”

“How did you escape the fire?” Cedric asked. “By all accounts there has never been a magic user who was able to do such a thing before.”

“Desperation is a wonderful tool,” he hummed. He stared into his cup, toying with the lemon slice floating in the tea with a finger. “They broke my wand and left me with nothing. I shouldn’t have been able to cast anything. They used chains to bind me to the stake and surrounded me with wood and hay to feed the fire. I was being burned from inside and outside. The smoke and the fire were destroying me. I don’t know why I just...screamed out a teleportation spell I knew. It worked.”

“Without a wand?”

“Without a wand.”

“How..?”

“Do you remember our Magical Histories class?” Greylock asked. “Magic users did not always use wands as a focus. Sometimes they used gems, stones, a weapon, or…”

“Blood,” Cedric finished.

He nodded his head. “Blood.”

“You were able to cast a spell using your blood?”

“I haven’t been able to replicate it,” he assured him. “I think it was the desperation plus the blood that somehow made the spell decide to work. I’m just glad the smoke hid my disappearance. Magnus thinks he burned me down to ashes, the blustering idiot.” He narrowed his eye, grip tightening around his cup. “I should have finished him. It would have saved Rudistan so much trouble!” he snarled.

“I never knew you hated your king so much,” Cedric said.

“Why do you think I was willing to help Slickwell find a new job? The man demands perfection from his servants and staff but refuses to see his own imperfections. It was maddening having him call me “his” sorcerer and claim that my magic was “his” to command. It was like he owned me. Nothing I did was my own.”

“That’s why you were so focused on getting credit that day,” he murmured.

“I behaved poorly that day. I apologize. I should have been polite and shown respect to you.”

Cedric waved the apology away. “That was a long time ago. It means nothing. How did you survive and make it here? Surely not on your own?”

Greylock smiled, nodding his head. “I ended up appearing in some woods. I thought I was going to die from exposure but hedge witches still exist in this world. One such hedge witch found me and she’s the reason I’m alive and looking so very handsome these days.

“The rest is fairly easy to explain. I made myself a wand when I could use my hands again. I knew I needed to get away from Rudistan and the only place I could think of was Enchancia...your kingdom, Cedric.”

“What do you intend on doing now?”

Greylock shrugged. “Now that you’ve found me? I don’t know. I’m too tired to run anymore. My legs are a mess under here,” he said, gesturing to his lower half. “I can’t run anymore if I wanted to.

“I leave it to you, old friend.”

Cedric’s cheeks burned a bright red at his words. “Me? Whatever do you mean by me?! I am not a king. I have no power to just make some kind of order to have you protected.”

“Whatever you decide I will accept.”

“...what if I decide to tell Rudistan you’re here?” Cedric asked.

Greylock shrugged, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “I’m sure Magnus would give you some reward for letting him kill me twice.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know.”

Cedric chewed on his lower lip. He tried to think of what he could do. He could not leave Greylock like this. He needed to help him but he would need help himself to do such a thing.

Clearing his throat, Cedric stood up. “I must return to the castle,” he said. He looked down at his old friend and promised, “I will be back.”

“I have no doubt about that,” Greylock chuckled. “You know where to find me or where to send the soldiers to collect me. Either way I’ll be here.”

***

Cedric looked very nervous when he returned to the castle. Baileywick frowned when he saw the sorcerer wandering the castle grounds and he went to check on him. “Cedric? Cedric, you’re back from your morning ride! I must admit I was surprised when I heard you had gone for a ride. I know how you feel about horses and…” He stopped when he saw the look on Cedric’s face. He reached out, taking his hands into his own. “Cedric?”

“I...we need to talk,” Cedric whispered. He looked around, moving closer. “Alone.”

Baileywick raised an eyebrow but nodded, letting Cedric lead him away to where he felt safe talking to him. “Are you in trouble?”

“Maybe,” Cedric confessed.

“What happened?”

“Greylock isn’t dead.”

“...what?”

“Greylock  _ isn’t _ dead!” Cedric hissed. “He’s in the village. I just met him. He’s staying at the tavern and he’s the one selling the sun catchers!”

“How did he survive his own execution?” Baileywick asked.

“Magic is capricious. Even the most learned sorcerer cannot predict what it will do. He’s alive and he’s here.”

“What do you want to do?” the steward asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll support you.”

“Do you promise?”

He smiled, kissing Cedric’s brow. “I promise.”

Slowly Cedric nodded his head. “I want to save my friend but I’m not sure how to do it.”

“I can help.”

“Come on. We’re going back to Dunwiddie!”

***

Baileywick drove the carriage to the village. Cedric sat beside him, amazed at how easily he controlled the small team of horses. He couldn’t even imagine attempting to do such a thing and here Baileywick did it so easily. It made him pout at the thought.

He led him to the tavern and Greylock as promised was waiting in his room, reading a book. He stood up when Baileywick stepped inside with Cedric and offered the older man a lopsided smile and bow. “Salutations, royal steward Baileywick.”

The three shared a meal together as they planned on what to do. Surprisingly it was Baileywick who came up with an idea first, detailing the steps that would need to be taken.

The two sorcerers agreed with his plan, trusting him.

***

“Has anyone seen Baileywick? He’s been gone this whole afternoon.” Roland frowned a little when he was met with nothing. Baileywick had never done such a thing before. The king worried that perhaps something had happened to the steward and he was close to ordering a search to be made for him when the doors to the throne room opened and the older man stepped inside and bowed.

“Baileywick!” he said with a smile. He approached the other with his arms open. “I was getting worried about you! Where have you..?” He blinked when he saw Cedric standing behind the other, toying with the sleeves of his robe. “Cedric? Are you okay?”

“I have found someone who works with glass, your majesty,” Baileywick said with a smile. Roland looked at him in confusion and the steward just smiled, waving over the figure that had been standing behind Cedric. “His name is Mr. Demi. He is very skilled and will make a good addition to castle staff.”

Greylock removed his hat and bowed down low to the king. “Your Majesty.”

Roland stared at the burned man with raised eyebrows. He knew who it was and he was very surprised to see the dead man standing in front of him. “What is this?” he asked.

“Glasswork can be dangerous at times. Burns and scars are unavoidable. His skill however is unmatched and almost magical in its appearance,” Baileywick said.

Greylock stood back up, glancing over at Cedric. “Your boyfriend could charm birds away from their nests,” he whispered.

“I’m fairly certain he has,” Cedric whispered back.

“How did Greylock..?” Roland began.

“Greylock died, sire. This is Mr. Demi. It’s a simple mistake to make but as you can see; Mr. Demi looks different from Greylock,” Baileywick corrected, smiling as he folded his hands behind his back. “His voice is even completely different from Greylock’s.”

Roland looked at the three. Baileywick was as calm as ever. Greylock seemed resigned to whatever was decided. Cedric looked an absolute mess, his face pale as he stared down at the ground. He reached out, touching Cedric on the shoulder to make him look up at him.

“Si-Sire?” Cedric stammered.

“What do you think of his glasswork?” Roland asked.

“I...I think his glasswork is wonderful, sire. He has suffered burns in the past but he has learned from them and he intends on offering his services to you as loyally as anyone else in this castle.”

Roland nodded, turning to Greylock. “Then it’s decided. You shall live and work here in the castle. King Magnus has no say in who I hire to make glass, especially since he killed his royal sorcerer.”

Greylock smiled, bowing again in gratitude. “I intend on doing my best for you, sire.”

***

“If you don’t breathe soon you’re going to pass out,” Baileywick warned. The two had been dismissed from the throne room, allowing Roland to speak with his new glass worker. He laughed when Cedric threw his arms around him, hugging him close. “Cedric!”

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Baileywick smiled, holding Cedric close. “Anytime, love.” The sorcerer started to cry in relief and he rubbed his back, holding him as he let him cry on his shoulder. “I will always support and help you, Cedric. I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Greylock uses the name Mr. Demi because his VA also voices the ghost butler Demi in Vampirina.


End file.
